Cooling device



May 7, 1929. D, w, Low 1,711,957

- COOLING DEVICE Filed Aug. 31, 1926 Iatented May 7, 1.929.

,siren STATES DAVID W. LOW, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

COOLING DEVICE.

Appiieation filed August 31, 192e. serial 110.132,703.

My invention is a cooling device, to cool the air and articles housed therein by the evaporation of a liquid preferably water.

ein object of my invention is to provide a simple cooling device in which water flows over a supporting structure having a: fabric cover and in so doing evaporates and cools the air withinysuch structure, and thereby preserves perishable goods placed within such structure.

Another object of my invention is the construction of a cooler built up of separate cooling units in tiers, forming a column, each of the cooling units having' a rigid flat top and with a-fabric cover on the side and preferably over the top, the rigid tops of the di1fer ent cooling units providing accommodation for storing perishable goods.

Another object of my invention is to control theflow of water so that this will act or flow substantially by capillary attraction, thus providing a suflicient amount of water to keep the fabric at 'the proper saturation point for satisfactorily cooling the materials to be kept refrigerated.

My invention will be more readily understood from the following description and drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a column of cooling units with a water jar on the top unit for supplying the necessary moisture;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of my cooler housed in the proper container, and showing articles mountedon the different units;

Fig. 3 is an inverted perspective view of one of the cooling units before being covered with fabric; n

Fig. 4 is a perspective top view of the upper unit, showing the means for attaching the water bottle;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged part section similar to Fig. 2, showing in detail thecontrol device for the flow of water from the bottle;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross section on the irregular line 6*@ of Fig. 5 in the direction of the arrows, illustrating in particular a plan view of the inner capillary flow bottle Cap;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the outer kcapillary flow bottle cap; Y Fig. 8 is a detail section on the liney 8--8 of Fig. 6 in the direction of the arrows.

The cooler as a whole is composed of a series of cooling units designated generally by the numeral 1, these being of graduated sizes to lit one within the other when packed and which may be built up in tier-sone above the other, forming a column, the units being coveredwith fabric and hollow on the inside. Each unit is connected to the neXt'by a strap 2 or thelike and on the top unit a bottle 3 is securedy by a fastening device tand the mouth of the bottle is closed by a ycapillary feed control device 5. If desiredthe whole cooler maybe placed in a suitable housing or casing 6. n

The water is allowed `to flow out of the bottle in regulated amounts, being controlled by the capillary device and by means of the fabric is carried preferably by a capillaryy over the top and down the sides of the differ-v ent units., keeping the same properly saturated with moisture.

Each of the cooling units is yconstructed substantially as follows, having reference particularly to Figs. 3 and i: f The base is formed of a wire 7 bent preferably into a ring and the top is formed of a metal plate 8 substantially in the form of a disc. Vire bracing 9 is looped partly around. the base wire-forming in effect an eye 10 and part of the edges of the disc are bent to form eyes l1 around the upper part of the `wire brace. The portion 12of the wire extending between the metaldisc and the base wire 7 forms a rigid support for the metal disc and supports the upper units resting thereon as well as any provisions or perishable goods resting on the top of the unit as hereunder described. The top and the sides of the units are covered with fabric such as a thin cotton which ispreferably stretched completely over the whole top and secured by stitching or the like to the base ring 7. l

In order to securekthe bottle inplace a screw ring 13 is formedby a coil of wire, one end 14 of which is soldered or otherwise secured to the top of the topmost cooling unit and the end 15 isbent outwardly forming` a nger grip to loosen the wire when it is desired to unscrew or disconnect a bottle. `The clamps 2 are formed at.' one endv with 5 a crimpedhoolr 16 bent aroundy part of the disc, the other end having a hook 17 to eX- tend across the upper surfaceof the cooling unit next above. i

rI'he units are preferably mounted in ya tray 1,8. This tray is preferably mounted on a supporting base 19 having a `series of spaced legs 20, there being apertures 21km the top of the base and a series of air holes 22 in the lower part of the casing 6. lhis casing is also provided with a large air hole 23 at the top.

lVhen the cooling units are built into a column, one on top of the other, 4he goods to be refrigerated or kept cool indica-ted by the numeral 24, are placed on the top of each unit and are therefore enclosed in the fabric sided structure.

The capillary flow control cap is constructed substantially as follows, having reference particularly to Figs. to 8:

This device comprises an inner unit 25 formed cup-shaped, having an outwardly ei:- tending Harige 26. rl'his flange is provided with a series of slots 2T at preferably opposite portions of the flange, the slots extending radially outwardly of the flange. A fabric gasket is threaded through such slots and follows the contour of the remaining portion of the iiange, thereby forming segments 29 having the full fabric and sections 30 having the small sections of fabric and metal extending upwardly. It will be noted by reference to Fig. 5 that the top rim of the bo-ttle indicated by the numeral 31 rests on this fabric gasket.

The outer unit 32 of the capillary cap is also formed cup-shaped, having a horizontal flange 33 and a reverse threaded portion 34. This threaded portion is preferably formed e by spinning threads into the reversely bent metal. The fia-nge 33 is provided with a plurality of arcuate openings or cut-out sections 35. The inner and o uter units are clamped together by a clamp bolt 36 having a thumb nut thereon, the head of the bolt being preferably soldered or otherwise secured to the outer unit 32.

The manner of operation of the capillary liquid control device is substantially as follows:

A cap formed of two units is screwed on the bottle neck before same is inverted and as the inner and outer part can be rotated relative to each other they are adjusted so that'if a large flow of liquid is desired the segmental portion 30 having the fabric with the metal spaces therebetween is placed registering with the cut-out portion of the outer unit, or if a lesser flow is desired the inner and outer unit are turned until less of the sectional part 30 registers with the cut-out sections 35, the clamp bolt having been suitably tightened. Vhen the bottle with the cap attached thereto is inverted, it is screwed into the coil spring screw illus trated particularly in Fig. 4, this wire following the threads in the threaded portion 34 of the outer unit. Thus the bottle is firmly clamped in position.

The water thus flows out of the bottle in accurately regulated amounts, this having the effect of allowing the iow of by the capillary attraction through the fabric of the gasket 26. As the water passes through the openings or cut-out sections 35 it spreads over the fabric on the top of the top coo-ling unit, this spread being aided by the capillary attraction of the liquid and fabric and flows down over the fabric sides of such units, being also aided by the capillary attraction, and from one unit the surplus water passes to the one next below and so on 'to the bottom of the tier.

lt will therefore be apparent that a large surface of fabric through which air may blow or against which it may impinge is provided and this surface is saturated to the desired extent with moisture which on evapo` ration cools the air and thus chills the perishable articles stored on top of each unit.

lf it is not desired to rely on the capillary attraction of the liquid being conducted through the fabric on the top of each unit, the top or disc 8 of such units may be left free of fabric and the sides only covered wi'rh the fabric. Therefore when al suflicient layer of water is formed on the top of each unit it flows downwardly over the fabric encircling the walls of such unit, on to the top of the cooling unit next below.

lt is to be understood that in the use of my cooler other devices for allowing the How of water over a series of cooling units may be employed, or if desired I may employ my capillary control cap for bottles for allowing the flow of water in different cooling systems or for different purposes. It is also obvious that the general features and specific details of my invention may be materially changed. Such changes would be within the spirit of my invention as set forth in the description, drawings and claims.

It will be noted in Fig. 5 that the top of the upper cooling unit is slightly concaved, this allows a certain amount of water to accumulate in the center and to flow by the capillary attraction in the fabric over the rim and down the sides. lf desired the tops of the cooling units below the top unit may also be slightly concaved on the top supporting surface, in order that there may be a small accumulation of water. This gives an even flow of water to all sides of the units.

'Another feature of my invention is the characteristic of being able to readily disconnect the ring 7 from the eyes l0 of the wire bracing 9 and the fabric is preferably caught or looped between the wire 7 and the eyes l0, thus allowing the fabric to be completely disconnected from the cooling units for washing or the like. n

lt will be noted by reference to Fig. 8 that the loops formed in the fabric where it is threaded through the slots 27 are sufficiently loose on the lower surface to extend completely through the cut-out section 35, flange 33 and thereby come in contact with the fabric lll?) lll) on top of the cooling units. Thus the liquid is caused to flow by capillary attraction through the fabric threaded through the slots and by contact with the fabric on top of the cooling units spreads laterally over said units and then flows down the sides of said units, the fabric on the top being designated by the numeral 37 and that on the sides by the numeral 38.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

l. In a cooling device, a cooling unit having a solid top with open sides, the top and sides being covered with fabric, an inverted. Water bottle resting on the top, a second fabric engaging the open mouth of the inverted bottle and means to control the flow of water from the bott-le by regulating the area of said second fabric exposed to the inside of the bottle.

2. In a cooling device as claimed in claim l, the means to control the graduated flow of water comprising a cap having a plurality of cup-like devices, one of said devices having a fabric and the other having openings whereby water may be conducted through the fabric by capillary attraction.

8. In a cooling device, a cooling unit having a frame with a. solid top and open sides, the sides being covered with fabric, an inverted bottle having a closure cap secured to the neck of the bottle, said cap having a pair of cup-like members, each having a horizontal flange, the flange of the lower member having openings and the flange of the upper member having a second fabric secured. thereto, the rim yof the bottle neck resting partly on the second fabric.

Ll. In a cooling device as claimed in claim 3, the flange of the upper member having slots with a fabric threaded therethrough.

5. In a cooling device, a cap to allow graduated flow of wat-er from an inverted bottle, said cap having a pair of cup-like members nested together, each having a horizontal flange, the flange of the lowermost member having openings therethrough, the Hangs of the upper member having a series of slots with fabric threaded therethrough, said fabric extending around the flange, means to secure said members in adjusted relation,

topand open sides covered with'fabric, ak

coiled wire secured to the top, said wire forming a screw thread to secure the bottle in inverted position to the top.

7. In a cooling device, a container having an opening in the base, a cap secured to said opening, said cap having a pair of members, each having a horizontal flange a capillary material secured to the flange of the upper member, there being openings through the flange with said material extending therethrough, the flange of the outer member having openings therethrough adapted to register with the openings in the inner member, and means to shift one member relative to the other to vary the capillary flow from the container.

8. A cooling device comprising in combination a series of cooling units, each unit having a wire frame forming a base and side walls having a solid imperforate top slightly depressed at the center with fabric extending over the top and around the side walls, said unit being stacked in tiers in graduated smaller sizes, straps connecting each unit to an adjacent unit, and means to flow Water over the top of the top unit.

9. In a cooling device as claimed in claim 3, the liange of the upper member having slots with said second fabric threaded therethrough, there being a clamping device for securing the cap members in adjusted relation with the slots and fabric in the desired relation to the openings in the flange of the lower member. f

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

DAVID W. LOW. 

